Why were the 70s such a tacky decade?

[jamespowers]

A wizard with a sword. Fighting a guy with a flaming skull head.

A wizard fighting Ghost Rider?

 

[jamespowers]

And a woman wearing a metal bikini and a fur robe. And a pirate. Every mural needs a pirate.

:rofl:

 

[Ghost Rider]

A wizard fighting Ghost Rider?

No, I've got green skin

 

[jamespowers]

No, I've got green skin

lol lol I see.

 

[MikeKardec]

I've always wondered if the entire post war era wasn't all about one decade, the mid 50s to the mid 60s, then the mid 60s to the mid 70s, etc, over reacting to the one before it ... either acting in opposition (60s counter culture reaction to the 50s) or by diving in so deep it couldn't see out (1970s mainstream hipsterism).

We are STILL reacting to current events and culture through the lens of the 1960s in many, many, ways. There doesn't seem to have been a powerful enough event to reset our clocks since the Summer of Love (tongue in cheek ... but serious too).

It seems to me that the 1970s sucked because after using the term "post modern" for about 80 years the post modern era finally arrived marking the end of style and culture ... I'm sort of joking but there's some truth to it too. I am sort of glad that we are no longer defining decades as we once were and that we are reacting to the previous culture less and less. Personally, I'm looking for ward to what is next, good bad or indifferent ... I wish I was younger in order to to experience it or oppose it more effectively.

 

[jamespowers]

I've always wondered if the entire post war era wasn't all about one decade, the mid 50s to the mid 60s, then the mid 60s to the mid 70s, etc, over reacting to the one before it ... either acting in opposition (60s counter culture reaction to the 50s) or by diving in so deep it couldn't see out (1970s mainstream hipsterism).

We are STILL reacting to current events and culture through the lens of the 1960s in many, many, ways. There doesn't seem to have been a powerful enough event to reset our clocks since the Summer of Love (tongue in cheek ... but serious too).

It seems to me that the 1970s sucked because after using the term "post modern" for about 80 years the post modern era finally arrived marking the end of style and culture ... I'm sort of joking but there's some truth to it too. I am sort of glad that we are no longer defining decades as we once were and that we are reacting to the previous culture less and less. Personally, I'm looking for ward to what is next, good bad or indifferent ... I wish I was younger in order to to experience it or oppose it more effectively.

Oppose it more effectively! lol lol
http://youtu.be/e7cry-4pyy8

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've always wondered if the entire post war era wasn't all about one decade, the mid 50s to the mid 60s, then the mid 60s to the mid 70s, etc, over reacting to the one before it ... either acting in opposition (60s counter culture reaction to the 50s) or by diving in so deep it couldn't see out (1970s mainstream hipsterism).

We are STILL reacting to current events and culture through the lens of the 1960s in many, many, ways. There doesn't seem to have been a powerful enough event to reset our clocks since the Summer of Love (tongue in cheek ... but serious too).

I think of it this way -- the sixties, seventies, and eighties were the Golden Age of American Hedonism. The seed was planted in the fifties by the explosion of postwar consumerism -- and in that respect, *the sixties weren't truly rebelling against the fifties at all.* They were, instead, the logical culmination of the fifties, and all they did was replace one kind of hedonism with another. And then the seventies introduced a new flavor, until it all culminated with the orgy of crassness and empty vulgarity that was the Eighties.

In contrast, the first part of the twentieth century had been anti-hedonistic -- the dominant spirit had been communitarian, not individualistic -- with the exception of the twenties, which were another postwar aberration. The Depression put a stop to that pretty quick, just as the recession of the early 90s and Gulf War I finally shut down the eighties.

As I said before, we won't be truly rid of the influence of the Age of Hedonism until that generation is gone. The sheer size of that generation ensures that era will be held up as the Ideal and the Standard, and worse, as the Default, for at least the next thirty years.

 

[DesertDan]

I loved the whole 'custom van' fad, shag carpet and all.

 

[jamespowers]

I think of it this way -- the sixties, seventies, and eighties were the Golden Age of American Hedonism. The seed was planted in the fifties by the explosion of postwar consumerism -- and in that respect, *the sixties weren't truly rebelling against the fifties at all.* They were, instead, the logical culmination of the fifties, and all they did was replace one kind of hedonism with another. And then the seventies introduced a new flavor, until it all culminated with the orgy of crassness and empty vulgarity that was the Eighties.

In contrast, the first part of the twentieth century had been anti-hedonistic -- the dominant spirit had been communitarian, not individualistic -- with the exception of the twenties, which were another postwar aberration. The Depression put a stop to that pretty quick, just as the recession of the early 90s and Gulf War I finally shut down the eighties.

As I said before, we won't be truly rid of the influence of the Age of Hedonism until that generation is gone. The sheer size of that generation ensures that era will be held up as the Ideal and the Standard, and worse, as the Default, for at least the next thirty years.

Thirty years?! The hippies can't stay around that long! All that dope and STDs has to make their live shorter. :doh:

 

[jamespowers]

I loved the whole 'custom van' fad, shag carpet and all.

:doh:

 

[Gregg Axley]

That would be the greatest thing to ever happen to a minivan. We should take up a collection to make this happen.

YES!!!!!!!!!!
I'd be willing to contribute as well, but it has to involve the following somewhere on the van (not all together unless you want it that way...)
A wizard
A dragon
And the word Space Cowgirl, with one in a bikini.

Or this the Charlies Angels theme, with Dale instead of Charlie.


Desert Dan, I tip my hat to you.
You sir know style when you see it.
Far out....:cool2:

 

[jamespowers]

YES!!!!!!!!!!
I'd be willing to contribute as well, but it has to involve the following somewhere on the van (not all together unless you want it that way...)
A wizard
A dragon
And the word Space Cowgirl, with one in a bikini.

Or this the Charlies Angels theme, with Dale instead of Charlie.


Desert Dan, I tip my hat to you.
You sir know style when you see it.
Far out....:cool2:

I want to hear Dale imitate John Forsythe. lol lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t285hxADyKs
Horrible beer but if I could walk along with Cheryl like that......

:laser: :hippie:

 

[Edm1]

When we were moving this summer..I refused to look at houses built in the 70s. They are that bad. I actually told the realtor we could leave cause she was wasting my time. They all look bad.

 

[vitanola]

It's my understanding that there were two generations of baby boomer. There were post-war boomers from 1946-1959 and then there were the Nam' baby boomers born 1960-1970, or something like that.

Well, yes. The "Boomer" generation has for a couple of decades been divided in to these two cohorts by most academic sociologists in the peer-reviewed literature. Not so in popular culture, nor apparently where antipodean market researchers are concerned, to wit:

http://mccrindle.com.au/resources/Generations-Defined-Sociologically.pdf

Of course, they also claimed that TV was introduced in 1956...

 

[Gregg Axley]

When we were moving this summer..I refused to look at houses built in the 70s. They are that bad. I actually told the realtor we could leave cause she was wasting my time. They all look bad.

While I liked some of the things in the 70's, a house built during that time IS a bad idea.
Good call...
Here they have aluminum wiring, which can rattle loose on the connections among other things.
1980's, that's the decade I intend on buying from.
Lived in one as a teen, and here they still hold their value very well.

 

[jamespowers]

When we were moving this summer..I refused to look at houses built in the 70s. They are that bad. I actually told the realtor we could leave cause she was wasting my time. They all look bad.

:rofl:

 

[jamespowers]

While I liked some of the things in the 70's, a house built during that time IS a bad idea.
Good call...
Here they have aluminum wiring, which can rattle loose on the connections among other things.
1980's, that's the decade I intend on buying from.
Lived in one as a teen, and here they still hold their value very well.

You like everything in a 70s house though. Ugly colors(like nasty green), ugly wallpaper, ugly appliances etc., etc. You should get one. lol lol

 

[Gregg Axley]

You like everything in a 70s house though. Ugly colors(like nasty green), ugly wallpaper, ugly appliances etc., etc. You should get one. lol lol

Like this carpet, and this chair?
The carpet will be replaced after Christmas, but as for the chair I'm still not sure yet.
Originally it was a baby blue, but recovered 25 years ago to match a couch.
At least the walls have been repainted, they were white as were all the walls.
Drove me bonkers, and darn near blinded me when I'd pull the shades up after a "long night out." :eusa_doh:

 

[jamespowers]

Like this carpet, and this chair?
The carpet will be replaced after Christmas, but as for the chair I'm still not sure yet.
Originally it was a baby blue, but recovered 25 years ago to match a couch.
At least the walls have been repainted, they were white as were all the walls.
Drove me bonkers, and darn near blinded me when I'd pull the shades up after a "long night out." :eusa_doh:
View attachment 21705

Replace that ugly carpet! The 70s called and they want the carpet back. Brown walls?!
You would hate it here. ALL the rooms are off white. I HATE rooms in other colors. lol lol
The chair I could live with but I don't do Velour

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

A wizard fighting Ghost Rider?

An Aztec warrior. Very '70s L.A.
You also found variations of this image in countless Mom and Pop Mexican restaurants.